Former Mauritian PM Jugnauth detained in money laundering probe

Former Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth has been arrested and is facing money laundering charges, the state-run Financial Crimes Commission said on Sunday. Jugnauth “is under arrest”, FCC spokesperson Ibrahim Rossaye told reporters, adding that he will be detained in Moka detention centre in central Mauritius. The arrest followed searches by FCC detectives of different locations, including Jugnauth’s residence, during which they found and seized 114 million Mauritius Rupees ($2.4 million), the FCC said.
Jugnauth’s lawyer, Raouf Gulbul, told reporters that his client has been provisionally charged in an alleged case of money laundering. Gulbul said his client denied the charges. In November, Mauritius’ new Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam announced an audit of the public finances days after questioning the accuracy of some government data compiled by the previous administration.The country’s former central bank governor Harvesh Seegolam  was detained last month and released on bail after he was charged with conspiracy to commit fraud.
The government, led by Premier Navinchandra Ramgoolam, is critical of the Jugnauth administration’s handling of the economy and said that economic data was inaccurate. Growth forecasts have been reviewed downwards and the budget deficit is almost twice what was estimated, according to a document tabled in December.An Indian Ocean archipelago, Mauritius is an offshore financial centre that markets itself as a link between Africa and Asia.